INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
Peace Palace, Carnegieplein 2, 2517 KJ The Hague, Netherlands
Tel.: +31 (0)70 302 2323 Fax: +31 (0)70 364 9928
Website: www.icj-cij.org
Press Release
Unofficial
No. 2015/16
23 June 2015
Obligations concerning Negotiations relating to Cessation of the Nuclear Arms Race and to
Nuclear Disarmament (Marshall Islands v. United Kingdom)
Fixing of the time-limit for the filing by the Republic of the Marshall Islands
of a written statement on the preliminary objections raised by the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
THE HAGUE, 23 June 2015. By an Order dated 19 June 2015, the President of the
International Court of Justice (ICJ) has fixed the time-limit for the filing, by the Republic of the
Marshall Islands, of a written statement of its observations and submissions on the preliminary
objections raised by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the case of
Obligations concerning Negotiations relating to Cessation of the Nuclear Arms Race and to
Nuclear Disarmament (Marshall Islands v. United Kingdom).
In his Order, the President recalls that, on 15 June 2015, the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland, referring to Article 79, paragraph 1, of the Rules of Court, raised
certain preliminary objections in the case. In accordance with paragraph 5 of the same Article, the
proceedings on the merits have therefore been suspended. Pursuant to that paragraph, and taking
account of Practice Direction V, the President, by the said Order, has fixed 15 October 2015 as the
time-limit within which the Republic of the Marshall Islands may present a written statement of its
observations and submissions on the preliminary objections raised by the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The subsequent procedure has been reserved for further decision.
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For the history of the proceedings, please see the Court’s 2013-2014 Annual Report
(paragraphs 219-223), which can be found on its website (under “The Court”/“Annual
Reports”/“2013-2014”). The full text of the Order of 19 June 2015 is also available online (under
“Cases”/“Contentious Cases”).
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Note: The Court’s press releases do not constitute official documents.
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The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
It was established by the United Nations Charter in June 1945 and began its activities in
April 1946. The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands). Of the six
principal organs of the United Nations, it is the only one not located in New York. The Court has a
twofold role: first, to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by
States (its judgments have binding force and are without appeal for the parties concerned); and,
second, to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by duly authorized United
Nations organs and agencies of the system. The Court is composed of 15 judges elected for a
nine-year term by the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations.
Independent of the United Nations Secretariat, it is assisted by a Registry, its own international
secretariat, whose activities are both judicial and diplomatic, as well as administrative. The official
languages of the Court are French and English. Also known as the “World Court”, it is the only
court of a universal character with general jurisdiction.
The ICJ, a court open only to States for contentious proceedings, and to certain organs and
institutions of the United Nations system for advisory proceedings, should not be confused with the
other mostly criminal judicial institutions based in The Hague and adjacent areas, such as the
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY, an ad hoc court created by the
Security Council), the International Criminal Court (ICC, the first permanent international criminal
court, established by treaty, which does not belong to the United Nations system), the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon (STL, an international judicial body with an independent legal personality,
established by the United Nations Security Council upon the request of the Lebanese Government
and composed of Lebanese and international judges), or the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA,
an independent institution which assists in the establishment of arbitral tribunals and facilitates
their work, in accordance with the Hague Convention of 1899).
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Information Department:
Mr. Andrey Poskakukhin, First Secretary of the Court, Head of Department (+31 (0)70 302 2336)
Mr. Boris Heim, Information Officer (+31 (0)70 302 2337)
Ms Joanne Moore, Associate Information Officer (+31 (0)70 302 2394)
Ms Genoveva Madurga, Administrative Assistant (+31 (0)70 302 2396)
- Fixing of the time-limit for the filing by the Republic of the Marshall Islands of a written statement on the preliminary objections raised by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Obligations concerning Negotiations relating to Cessation of the Nuclear Arms Race and to Nuclear Disarmament (Marshall Islands v. United Kingdom) - Fixing of the time-limit for the filing by the Republic of the Marshall Islands of a written statement on the preliminary objections raised by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland